In the 14-county Upper Cumberland region . . .

10,992 children out of 74,778 in the Upper Cumberland live in poverty.

SOURCE: Upper Cumberland Development District

what your help means

Your investment means we can help more children be school ready and we can foster more lifelong learners. This helps parents, teachers and community partners have the tools and resources they need to help those who need it most, building both families and a stronger future for our community.

WCTE public television has served as an education partner in Tennessee’s Upper Cumberland region for more than 40 years. The region consists of 14 rural and isolated counties with above-average poverty rates. More than 20 percent of the Upper Cumberland students are economically disadvantaged, and 40 percent of incoming kindergarten students in some regions perform below the skill level needed for kindergarten readiness.

Funding Can Vary

WCTE is a nonprofit organization that receives over 70 percent of its funding through federal and state funds. These funds are not guaranteed and can fluctuate from year to year.

ENGAGING & CONNECTING

WCTE engages and connects at-risk and economically disadvantaged families to need-based services, giving a voice to the people and the region it serves. This region has a rich and distinctive way of life, but many residents are culturally isolated, economically disadvantaged and underserved. The need-based services offered by WCTE are extremely important to these communities, and in some cases, they can change the lives of those most at-risk. Without the services from WCTE, these families would not have what is needed for school readiness.

25% of budget is used for education

A quarter of WCTE's budget — which includes all of the federal and state funding WCTE receives — goes toward providing educational content and services.

IMPACT

WHAT WCTE provides

COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS

WCTE partners with numerous community organizations that work in alliance with WCTE's education and community engagement mission. These organizations serve at-risk and economically disadvantaged families and children who have limited resources to help them with school readiness. That's why WCTE's work and collaboration with the community partners is so important. WCTE uses PBS KIDS learning tools to help these community partners educate families through hands-on learning activities, creative learning workshops, access to electronic learning devices, summer enrichment programs and parental chat sessions.

“Ever since Cindy Putman started doing parental engagement once a month, the staff morale at Jackson Kayak has improved.” — David Gallaher, Jackson Kayak

“The Ready To Learn Lab of iPads has been a valuable resource to have in the children’s library. Patrons who have never used an iPad before are able to have that experience while taking advantage of great educational apps for free!” — Chelsea Gifford, Putnam County Children's Services Librarian/Assistant Director

HELP FOR TEACHERS

WCTE helps teachers create a positive learning experience for all children by offering learning curriculum, hands-on exercises, and poverty and ACEs training. These tools can assist in closing the gap in school readiness while also building trust among parents. Because 48 percent of children in our area are not school-ready, which puts them at risk for educational disadvantage and failure, WCTE believes that no child should be left behind no matter the circumstances, and that working closely with teachers can make the difference in the lives of all children.

INFORMATION FOR PARENTS

WCTE’s Ready To Learn initiative offers the tools and resources to the families who need it the most. The various ways WCTE connects with parents, besides through teachers and our community partners, is a weekly, local, 30-minute radio show, Get Ready to Learn with Cindy Putman, and an active blog, both of which focus on hot topics of interest to parents and families. We also offer a number of resources for parents, including creative learning workshops, a 24/7 PBS Kids channel and multi-platform learning that includes live, 24/7 streaming and on-demand programs; learning apps; and online learning games, all of which provide highly researched, commercial-free curriculum designed to aid our parents in jumpstarting early learning. Additionally, WCTE offers engagement non-curriculum based opportunities for families with events such as Stations of Imagination and the Gilley Pool Back to School Bash.

SUPPORT FOR AT-RISK CHILDREN

WCTE’s Ready To Learn initiative offers the tools and resources to the families who need it the most. The various ways WCTE connects with parents, besides through teachers and our community partners, is a weekly, local, 30-minute radio show, Get Ready to Learn with Cindy Putman, and an active blog, both of which focus on hot topics of interest to parents and families. We also offer a number of resources for parents, including creative learning workshops, a 24/7 PBS Kids channel and multi-platform learning that includes live, 24/7 streaming and on-demand programs; learning apps; and online learning games, all of which provide highly researched, commercial-free curriculum designed to aid our parents in jumpstarting early learning. Additionally, WCTE offers engagement non-curriculum based opportunities for families with events such as Stations of Imagination and the Gilley Pool Back to School Bash.

AWARDS & ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

WCTE in the news

2018

Tennessee Governor Bill and First Lady Crissy Haslam – Governor’s Award for Excellence in Early Foundations

TCCY John Seigenthaler Making KIDS COUNT Media Award

National PBS Blog – WCTE Helps Rethink Parent Engagement in Tennessee

2017

PBS Annual Meeting: Spotlight Ms. Lorena’s Story, WCTE and their work with English learners

TESTIMONIALS

Nina Lunn talks about how WCTE connects local youth with educational resources.

Creators

Brad Sells tells how WCTE connects the community with access to educational television.

Scholars

Aryan Dogra tells how Roadtrip Nation inspired his career choice.

Teachers

Amanda Collier explains how PBS KIDS has made learning fun for her children.

Readers

Grady Collier describes how the PBS KIDS app inspires his love of reading.

reach

WCTE inspires children

During the last year, WCTE’s Ready To Learn Initiative, through our collaboration with Community Partners for Early Learning Media (CC-ELM) was able to reach 19,000 children with outreach services. That’s enough kids to fill 263 school buses!

19,000

Childen Reached

= 263

Filled School Buses

Make A Difference

Your donation will help provide permanent funding to ensure that all people have access to quality educational programming, hands-on learning tools, community and engagement initiatives and a host of other enriching and entertaining programs.

WCTE’s endowment will sustain our educational mission of growing lifelong learners, thus improving the future prospects for our youth in a way that will change the landscape of our region.

Giving Is Easy

There are no limits to the ways you can give, including annual gifts, appreciated stock, retirement assets, IRA retirement, insurance policies, real estate, personal property and many more options, either now or through a charitable bequest. Giving can be easy and might be tax deductible. Ask for our gift information today if you are interested in knowing more about the various ways to give and how your gift will be used.

Ask

DONATE Today

If you would like to speak with WCTE about your gift today, or to learn more about WCTE's work in education, complete the form below or simply call us at 931-528-2222 and someone will be in touch. We would be honored to work with you and your advisors as you consider